


Royal Affairs

by HufflepuffChildOfApollo



Series: Drastoria oneshots [8]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Angst with a Happy Ending, Dungeon, Eventual Romance, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Marriage, Marriage Proposal, Prince Draco Malfoy, Princes & Princesses, Princess Astoria Greengrass, Prison, Two Shot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:14:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23952133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HufflepuffChildOfApollo/pseuds/HufflepuffChildOfApollo
Summary: The woman didn't stir as Draco approached. He looked at her face, trying to decide where he'd seen her before; His eyes fell on her tattered but delicately embroidered gown, and it clicked.Greengrass. Bloody flipping hell, his soldiers had captured a princess.
Relationships: Astoria Greengrass & Draco Malfoy, Astoria Greengrass/Draco Malfoy
Series: Drastoria oneshots [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1309850
Kudos: 11





	Royal Affairs

In the kingdom of Salazar, deep below the Grand Palace in the Eastern Province ruled by King Lucius II, there was a dark, dismal dungeon. Cold iron bars and grimy brick walls penned prisoners in the cold cells on cracked time floors, and rotted, moldy wood benches served for hazardous, uncomfortable benches that gave most occupants nothing but restless nights and splinters. It was a dreary, comfortless place compared to the splendor of the kingdom above — especially if you were innocent of any crime. 

In a cell halfway between the dungeon stairs and the end of the system half a mile from there, a young woman lay huddled in a corner, her pale shoulders shaking with cold the only indication she was alive. A cream-coloured gown, elegantly embroidered with roses and leaves, but tattered and dirty with blood and grime from the walls, barely served to cover up her body, the lace sleeves and shredded chiffon skirt offering no protection from the chill of the damp stone bricks that seemed to seep the heat out of a person, or from the water that sunk into the ground and leaked through cracks in the ceiling when it rained too hard. 

_The worst of it all,_ she thought, _is I'm not even supposed to be here._

Three weeks before, Astoria Greengrass had been on her way to the palace on a diplomatic mission, to speak with the Malfoy Prince about a possible union of their two Houses. As soon as she had crossed the border between their provinces, however, she was seized by soldiers from Malfoy's army, and dragged to the dungeon without trial. 

For a while she had pleaded her innocence, and demanded to have an audience with one of the monarchs, but the guards who brought her food simply rolled their eyes; they'd heard it all before. Now she was quietly resigned to her lot, and though she dated to hope she might one day be let out, she knew it was a list cause. 

"Oi, breakfast!" a gruff voice barked, its owner banging on the door of the cell. Astoria stirred, crawling to the door to pick up the wooden bowl, which was as usual filled with a small amount of flavorless slop, made from a thin mixture of water and whatever scraps didn't make it into the royals' dinner. Today she could see tiny bits of meat mixed in with the soggy, stale bread. _Must be after trade day,_ she thought — There hadn't been meat to spare in any of the kingdoms all winter, so she knew passage for the Northern and Southern kingdoms' traders must be open. _Hopefully the meals will improve._

So went the day for Astoria Greengrass. 

~0~

Draco Malfoy grimly surveyed the dark corridor before him. The prison was due for its bi-monthly inspection, and though the task would normally fall to a servant, it was required that a member of the royal family inspect it at the start of every season. 

Taking up a lantern, he started down the corridor, two of his soldiers following close behind. They listened and took notes, exchanging annoyed glances as he proclaimed his dissatisfaction with the conditions:

"That bench needs replaced before it falls apart." 

"That door's practically off its hinges."

"That black mold is going to make somebody sick."

Most of the cells were empty, thankfully — he hated the way prisoners shouted and complained. 

One cell, though, with an arrest date from three weeks ago, made him stop dead in his tracks. 

Inside, curled upon the bench, lay a young woman, shivering under a threadbare blanket that barely covered her shoulders. Her dark hair fell in messy curls to the floor, and her face reflected restless, troubled dreams as she slept. What floored Draco, though, was that he thought he recognized her — and didn't recall authorizing her arrest.

"Who is this, Officer Macnair?" he asked. 

"Prisoner 60, Your Royal Highness. She was found trespassing on your grounds," the soldier replied. 

"If I recall correctly, _I_ am in charge of jail sentences. And I haven't made an arrest in a month." Draco frowned. "Do you have her key? And I would like the names of the officers who arrested her." 

"Avery and Yaxley, I believe," Macnair said, handing over the key. Draco scoffed. Jacob Avery Jr. and Linus Yaxley were two of his head officers; they fought well, and we're a valuable asset to his army. 

_But replaceable,_ he decided. _Especially if they can't follow orders._ He unlocked the door and stepped into the cell, commanding his officers to stay outside. 

The woman didn't stir as Draco approached. He looked at her face, trying to decide where he'd seen her before; His eyes fell on her tattered but delicately embroidered gown, and it clicked. 

_Greengrass._ Bloody _flipping_ hell, his soldiers had captured a _princess._ It was a wonder there hadn't been an invasion from her province already. 

_Shit, shit, shit,_ he thought in a half-panic. She seemed too fast asleep to wake now — he'd inform his parents and come back later, he decided. For now, though, he'd have to leave her, and finish his inspection at a later date. He took off his cloak, laying it over her, and left his lantern hanging on a hook by the bench. Then he walked out, closing but not locking the door. 

"Find me officers Avery and Yaxley," he commanded. "Tell them I have something urgent to discuss."

~0~

Astoria woke, and found something pleasantly warm and soft around her shoulders. Opening her eyes, she was surprised to see light in her cell, coming from the small lantern hung above her bench. She sat up, looking around; everything else looked the same, except...

She gasped. At the door stood the Prince himself, his pale features ghostly in the dim light. 

"Don't be frightened," he said quickly, holding a hand out as Astoria scrambled off the bed, the cloak she'd been asleep under falling off.

"Your Highness," she stuttered, clumsily sinking into a bow; her ankle gave out and she stumbled. 

"Whoa! Careful!" The Prince caught her by the shoulders, setting her upright. She wobbled unsteadily, her arms around herself to keep her loose gown from falling down. Her heart raced with fear and anxiety. 

"Relax." The Prince held out a hand as if calming a skittish horse. "I'm very sorry for all that has happened. I was not informed that you were down here." 

Astoria was speechless with shock, barely registering his words. 

"I'd like to return you home as soon as possible. I can't imagine what you've been through," he went on. "You can have some clean clothes and a decent meal before I take you back. I'm sure your parents are worried sick..."

Astoria swallowed. "You're not going to execute me?" she rasped, her voice hoarse from lack of use.

The Prince shook his head. "You've done nothing wrong. The men who captured you, on the other hand, are to be dealt with." 

Astoria nodded slowly, feeling faint, and unsure whether it was from shock or lack of sleep and food. Her eyes stung with tears, and she cursed herself for being so pathetic. "Thank you, sir," she choked out. "I— I mean Your Highness," she corrected herself.

"Don't thank me. This shouldn't have happened at all." He held the cell door open, extending a hand to her. "Come, you need checked over for injuries, and to have some food." 

Astoria tentatively took his hand, trembling as he led her out of the cell, into the candle-lined corridor outside. 

~0~

The Prince's servants were all aflutter over Astoria's discovery; many of them believed the prince had hidden her in the dungeon to conceal their 'secret affair' from his parents, and had neglected to free her after he was bored of her. Astoria tried hard not to listen to the nonsensical gossip as she was bathed, dressed in a clean robe and sent to the Prince's quarters to rest. 

Soon a knock came on the door, and a maid escorted the Prince in. Astoria watched him as he walked over to her, hands clasped behind him, and regarded her with an air of calm curiosity. 

"I hope you're feeling better," he said. "Someone should be up soon with some food, and horses are being prepared to take you home in the morning."

Astoria nodded slightly, sitting up; her arms shook under her weight as she tried to support herself. The Prince looked concerned, and reached out to help her. 

"You'll have a lot of recovery to do," he said, putting a pillow behind her head once she was sat up. "I'll have one of my best physicians look you over before bed, though I'm sure your own physicians will do a far better job." He looked sheepish. "My father's kingdom is, after all, not famous for its great minds, like your own." He paused, his eyes widening. "Your own _kingdom,_ I mean. I'm sure your mind is great — and your kingdom's — I was saying —"

"It's okay," Astoria said. She understood and nervousness he must be feeling; her parents would likely be furious when they found out Astoria had been imprisoned on the Malfoys' property for nearly a month, and any hopes of a union between houses would be out the door — it could even mean war if not dealt with properly. Of course, the Malfoys would have the advantage; their kingdom boasted a huge army, and what they lacked in fighting skill they made up in sheer numbers — thousands of expendable men and women who could be devastating in a fight, trained to kill, and if killed, take as many of the enemy with them as possible. 

"Perhaps after I'm well again we can reschedule our meeting," she suggested optimistically. "Though, perhaps it would be better for you to visit — I doubt I'll be allowed out of the palace." 

He nodded, and Astoria could see some of the tension in his shoulders ease. "Perhaps," he said. "For now, you should be resting. I'll go see what's taking the cook so long..."

He stood, and swiftly exited, leaving her alone with the maid. 

"I'll go and find you some clothes," the maid said. "His Royal Highness the Prince has offered a selection he believes may fit, if Your Highness accepts."

Astoria nodded. "Yes, thank you."

The maid bustled off to a closet in the corner, and Astoria laid back, closing her eyes. _Maybe I can get some sleep,_ she thought. _Just for a moment._

~0~

They set off toward the Eastern province as the sun started to rise, Draco and the Princess both on horseback, a stable hand riding with her to keep her steady, and several guards riding behind, with officers Yaxley and Avery chained on a single horse. 

They reached the borders just after the sun has fully risen, and by noon they were in sight of the palace. Draco and the Princess rode ahead, stopping at the gates. 

"Tell the Queen her daughter has returned," the Princess instructed the guards at the gates. One of them obeyed, the other staying to stand guard. 

Shortly after, the Queen and her husband arrived, and engaged in a tearful reunion with their daughter; Draco stood back, watching, until the Queen turned to him. 

"I hope there's an explanation as to why my daughter is returned to me in this state," she said, her eyes (green, he noticed, like her daughter's) narrowed. 

"I am sure there is, but I am not the one you should ask. Coming up the road are the two officers responsible for wrongfully arresting your daughter; it is your right to punish them as you see fit for crimes against your kingdom," Draco said. "I had no part in the harm caused to her, nor did I have knowledge of her imprisonment."

The Queen looked at her daughter, who nodded slightly if to confirm his statement. 

"He tells the truth," the Princess said. "He released me immediately after he found out. He wouldn't send two of his best officers to you for punishment over something they didn't do."

The Queen sighed. "Very well. We'll deal with them; meanwhile, Astoria, you need rest. Aphard, take her inside, dear," she instructed her husband. "Thank you, Your Highness, for returning out daughter," she added to Draco. 

"Of course, Your Majesty," he replied. "And I can assure you such a thing will not happen again." 

She nodded her head, turning and walking through the gate; Draco took this as his cue to leave, remounting his horse and riding back on the road to his province. 

_What a bloody pain in the ass,_ he thought, sending a glare toward his ex-officers as he passed them. _I'll be speaking to Father about better screening for officers, make no mistake._

**Author's Note:**

> End of chapter one! Please let me know what you think!


End file.
